An American at Hogwarts
by Rae7910819
Summary: What if Severus Snape made a new friend? A transfer student from the States? Would it change anything? What about Raiz Luvrelle? Will she fit in in a school so far and so different from what she knew? Rating is for language and adult situations later in the story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize. I try to follow canon, but there are a few things I've switched around for the sake of my story. A good portion of my information comes from the HP Lexicon, or Pottermore.

My name is Raiz. Raiz Luvrelle. I'm 16 years old, born in the middle of summer and a huge fan of the heat that comes along with it. I have short red hair that flips out at the ends in a cute, bouncy sort of way. At 5'9", I'm pretty tall for a girl. I have the dark, tanned skin that most associate with where I'm from, but it's just a part of my heritage (Native American). I'm thin, and long of limb, but not lanky. I don't play sports, I just have lovely genetics. My lips are thin, but shapely, and my nose is slightly hooked. My eyes are one of the more unique features, however; they are two different colors. My left is a bright green, and the other is a dark brown. The glasses perched on my nose tended to distract most from seeing them though.

There is one other defining feature.

I'm a witch, and a pretty good one at that.

My wand is 13 inches long, made of poplar with a core of dragon heartstring. It's a sturdy, unyielding wand and supposed to be quite good for casting Defense spells and working the odd Charm. I was born and raised in the USA. Central California to be exact. I was enrolled in the San Francisco Academy of Wizardry until my mother and father decided to relocate to London, England. I left all of my friends and all that I knew, simply because my parents followed a job.

It might just sound like I'm bragging, but I'm not. Just sort of introducing myself, I suppose.

I'm sarcastic and have one hell of a weird sense of humor. I have issues with large, close crowds. I also have a temper. Aaaaaand I'm a little proud. Go figure.

At this current point in time, I'm sitting in an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. On my way to the esteemed school itself. I sighed and watched my breath gently fog the glass in front of my face. The train had just taken off and I'd been told that it would be a long trip.

A long, cold, and miserable trip.

I pulled my jacket up tighter around me and frowned. Why did the weather have to be so damn cold all of the time? It was far worse than San Francisco. At least there the sun came out once in awhile…

My frown deepened as the compartment door jerked open and then slammed shut. A boy about my age stood there, panting and out of breath. He started when he finally noticed me but he held up a finger for me to be quiet as he slid out of sight from the door.

I watched with a raised eyebrow and a curiosity welling up inside me. That curiosity was answered, however, as the door crashed open and four more boys suddenly crowded the compartment door with their wands half-raised. One was a rat-faced youth with beady eyes, another had long dark hair tied back, a third had messy black hair, and the last was a scruffy-looking boy with short light hair.

The boy with his hair tied back started to ask, "Have yeh seen-" and then he cut himself off midsentence as he actually laid eyes on me. A slow, charming grin spread across his face as he nudged his companions. I was suddenly the subject of some very intense stares.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Was there something you wanted?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the lone boy slip up into the overhead baggage compartment and hide behind my trunk.

"Never mind that," he spoke again, "Yeh're new here, aren't yeh?" They crowded their way into my compartment and sat down uninvited. I wasn't exactly getting a good feeling from these boys, especially given that I was pretty sure they had been trying to gang up on my little stowaway.

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm a transfer from the U.S."

"No foolin'?" the boy with messy hair said.

"You'll have to excuse my mates. I'm Remus Lupin," the scruffy-looking boy said as he shook my hand politely, "This is Sirius Black," the first boy to speak to me took my hand next and kissed my knuckles, "This is Peter Pettigrew," the rat-faced boy nodded, "and this is James Potter," he finished, motioning to the last of his friends.

I didn't really want to be rude, and I didn't want to make them suspicious, so I reluctantly and politely introduced myself as well. "I'm Raiz Luvrelle," I said.

"Interesting name that," James Potter piped up.

"Oy," Sirius said, punching James on the arm, "You've got yer own, back off!"

I raised my eyebrows in unison and shot a questioning look at Remus Lupin, who seemed the only real sensible one of the lot. He shrugged and looked almost apologetic.

"Well, anyways, was there something you guys wanted? Or are you just here to gape at the new girl?" I demanded, suddenly eager to get them out of here and away from me. Sirius Black was gazing at me with a decidedly hungry look. Peter Pettigrew sniggered from his perch by the door.

"Oh, well, we were just lookin' fer a mate of ours. About our age, greasy black hair, beak of a conk?" Sirius Black said, still eyeing me like I was on a plate in front of him.

I shook my head, sending my hair bobbing around my face a bit. "No. No one's come through that door but you guys. Now, I've got to ask you all to leave. I've gotta change into my robes before we get to the school," I said making a motion toward the door. All of them but Sirius Black blushed, and immediately started muttering their farewells. Remus Lupin and James Potter dragged Sirius Black out by the arms, smacking him every time he opened his mouth.

As the door shut behind them, I stood and snapped shut the blinds on the little window. I turned around to see my stowaway slip down and land in front of me. "Thank you," he muttered.

"For what?" I asked, somewhat distracted by suddenly being face-to-face with him. His hair wasn't really greasy, my mind noticed, just slightly unwashed and not well-kept. His nose was, yes, rather beak-like, but not horribly so. His was just a more pronounced version of mine. His skin was pale, like he spent too much time inside pouring over books all day. His eyes though, were almost as unique as my own. I realized I wasn't looking directly into them, but up into them, just a bit. He was taller than me by an inch or two.

They were a pure, mesmerizing black. As I stood staring at them, I vaguely heard him say, "For not telling them I was in here."

I remembered to nod, and then shrug. "Think nothing of it," I replied, "You're welcome to stay in here as long as you need to."

"Don't you need to change?" he asked as he took a seat.

I laughed wryly and shook my head to clear it. "Not really. I already have my uniform on. Just gotta put up the jacket and put on my robes and scarf. Oh, and the sweater."

He nodded and watched as I took my jacket off reluctantly. He got a funny look on his face as he noticed my pants, but wisely didn't say anything as I stood on a seat to get into my trunk. I put away the jacket and pulled out the robes, scarf, sweater, and tie with a sigh. I stepped back down, tossing everything but the tie down on a seat.

"What's wrong?" he asked as I slipped the tie around my neck and tied it properly. It was thinly striped in plain black and white; it matched the scarf and edging around the v-neck of my sweater. I'd purposefully gotten the boy's uniform.

"These outfits just aren't warm enough…" I said, "And wearing a skirt like I'm supposed to? In this weather? For-fucking-get it."

He smirked at me and I raised an eyebrow back at him in challenge. He said nothing else, however, as I compiled the rest of my outfit. Again, I felt curiosity well up as I watched him from the corner of my eye.

"What's your name? I assume you heard mine while you were up there," I asked.

He hesitated before answering, "Snape. Severus Snape."

"It's nice to meet you, Severus Snape."

Again, he looked at me with a weird look on his face.

"What?" I demanded.

"Nothing exactly…" he said softly, "You're just… Different."

I laughed as I sat back down in my seat by the window. "Well duh. Not from around here, remember?"

"How could I not? Your accent is appalling."

I stared at him in a bit of shock, until I realized he was smirking at me. I shot him a glare and looked out of the window again. "Well, your weather is horrifically miserable. Worse than San Fran's as a matter of fact…"

He laughed and then silence reigned over the compartment for a time. After awhile, he spoke again, "I should be going. I doubt you'd want to get the Marauders' attentions, being seen with me and all." He actually got up and was at the door before I could speak.

"Wait," I said, and he paused, one hand on the door. I continued softly, "I don't really know anyone else… And I've got no idea where I'm supposed to go. The letter said something about approaching the Head Table before the Sorting…?"

He looked back at me over a shoulder, searching my face. "What year are you supposed to start?"

"My sixth."

A flicker of interest crossed his face. "You'll be in my year. They'll probably sort you before the First Years…" he said as he sat down again.

I tried not to look too grateful at him, but I did smile.

He tilted his head at me thoughtfully. "Any idea of what House you'll be in?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I never gave it much thought. Are they really that important?"

He frowned and looked out the window beyond me. It was a moment before he answered me, "Some people think so. Others though, think your blood status is even more so…" He sounded empty as he said it.

"Blood status?"

"Yes, whether or not both of your parents are magical."

"Oh," I blinked, "Well, my mom is. My dad isn't."

He turned the full weight of his gaze back to me and his lips twitched in amusement. "That makes you a Half-Blood, like me. At any rate, we're arriving at the school."

I hadn't noticed the train slowing down, but I guess he had. We stood together and slipped out the door as the train slid to a stop. I glanced around at the village around us, but couldn't see much through the students milling around. I grabbed a hold of Severus' sleeve as I felt the familiar wave of anxiety sweep over me at being suffocated in a crowd. He glanced back at me and did a double-take as he saw the pale look on my face. He almost stopped to ask if I was okay, but I motioned him forward and he led me through the throng of students.

We broke through the people and found ourselves looking at a group of carriages being pulled by creepy-looking winged horses. "Thestrals…" I whispered. Severus nodded absently as he pulled me along toward one of the carriages. We mounted and it took off without waiting for any other students. I closed my eyes and leaned back, letting the cool air wash over me.

"What's wrong? Are you going to chuck?" he asked warily.

"No," my voice came out a little shaky, "I just… Really don't like crowds…"

Thankfully, he left it at that. It was a few minutes before he spoke again. "You should look up."

I opened my eyes and got my first look at Hogwarts. I stared. I couldn't help it. It was a castle. A huge fucking castle. I snapped my jaw shut at the chuckle coming from my companion. I leveled a glare at him and he smirked unapologetically back at me.

Then, his look turned sour and he said, "I should warn you… I'm not very popular. Especially with the Marauders."

"You mentioned them before. Are those the boys that were chasing you?"

He nodded.

"Well, that doesn't really bother me. They struck me as idiots anyways."

He snorted at my statement and the rest of the ride went by in silence. When the carriage came to a stop, he dismounted first and then stood to help me out like a gentleman from one of those trashy romance novels my mom reads. I raised an eyebrow at him again, but took the offer, pulling my robes to the side so I didn't trip over them. We walked side-by-side amongst several of the other students as they hurried into the castle. No one paid any attention to us. They were eager to get into the Great Hall.

I barely stifled a gasp as Severus and I entered it. I skipped a step staring up at the ceiling and nearly tripped over my own feet. Severus caught my arm and said nothing, wisely. He walked with me to the table where a few adults were already seated.

"The older woman there is Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress. The Headmaster isn't here yet. You'll probably want to talk to her anyways," he told me, pushing me forward slightly. I nodded nervously and approached her.

I stopped in front of her and waited politely for her to pause in her conversation with another witch. She stared at me in confusion for a moment before comprehension dawned over her. "You must be our transfer student!" she exclaimed in a thick Scottish brogue, "Well, just wait against that wall over there. I'll bring in the First Years in just a moment and they'll be sorted. Then, I will call your name and we'll sort you."

I smiled and thanked her before I found a slightly shadowed corner to hide it as the students all filtered in and took their seats at each set of tables. Even the headmaster finally entered. He was an old man dressed in flowing blue robes with gaudy gold decorations. His beard and hair were streaked gray and white and had grown down nearly to his waist.

After a few more minutes passed, I watched McGonagall leave the Hall. I frowned and gazed at the faces around me. The occasional student glanced in my direction, but none paid much attention. Finally, the Deputy Headmistress reentered, carrying a hat on a stool and leading a group of kids in, like a mother hen with her chicks. I laughed to myself at the image and was able to relax a little.

She set the stool down and stepped back. A silence fell over the Great Hall and every face was fixed on the hat. So, I stared at the hat too. When it erupted into song, I wasn't the only person to jump.

_Welcome, welcome one and all!_

_Another year at Hogwarts, another year of learning._

_The Light watches over us, but Shadow looms just beyond._

_Always hungry, always yearning._

_United we stand, divided we fall, once said a great man._

_I'll keep this short, I'll keep this sweet._

_In lovely Hufflepuff, belong the loyal and steadfast._

_In bold Gryffindor, belong the daring and first to danger meet._

_In clever Ravenclaff, belong the sharp and thoughtful._

_In cunning Slytherin, belong the witty and ambitious._

_So put me on your little heads and be Sorted._

_For soon shall sit before you a feast most delicious._

I looked incredulously at the hat. A singing hat. "Now I've seen everything…" I muttered to myself.

As McGonagall called the First Years to the stool, I looked at the banners above the tables for the first time. On a red and gold banner sat a lion, on a blue and black sat a raven, the yellow and bronze held a badger, and the silver and green held a snake. I scanned the faces beneath the banners but I couldn't see Severus or the Marauders from where I stood.

I turned my attention to what I assumed was the staff, but I realized that there were only a handful of students left before me. All too quickly, they were Sorted and it was my turn.

" And last but not least, our Sixth Year transfer student from the San Francisco Academy of Wizardry… Luvrelle, Raiz," announced McGonagall.

I walked up to the stool to whispers erupting amongst the students. Each step felt like an eternity, but finally I sat on the rickety old stool and she slipped the hat on my head. I heard the hat's voice softly in my ear.

"Oh my. It isn't very often I see an older student under my brim. From the States are you? Yes, well… Let's see. Where should I place you? You're very loyal, I can see that. And incredibly intelligent, but you lack the focus… Gryffindor isn't for you either… You're rather ambitious though. I don't get many challenges like you. Let's see how you do in… SLYTHERIN!" the hat's shout in my ear caused me to flinch and blink in the sudden light as McGonagall swept the hat off my head and motioned me toward the now cheering tables under the snake banner.

I walked toward them in a slight daze and shook hands with several of the students. I was congratulated by several people before I finally spotted Severus standing and waiting for me to see him. I made my way to him gratefully and sank into the seat beside him. The Headmaster stood and started a speech but I wasn't listening. Instead, I was being introduced by Severus to several people around us.

"This is Regulus Black, Sirius' brother," he nodded toward a boy that looked a lot like Sirius but with shorter hair and a more reserved air around him. At his brother's name, he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Met him, have you?" he asked me.

I nodded, and Severus introduced me to several more of my fellow Slytherins.

"Thomas Avery, John Mulciber, Laurence Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Bella Black is Regulus' cousin, the twins Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, Evan Rosier, Gloria Wilkes, and Maureen Yaxley," he continued as they all greeted me in turn, "Bella and Rabastan are prefects. They, Rodolphus, Wilkes, and Yaxley are Sixth Years as well. Regulus and Rosier are Fifth Years. Avery, Mulciber, Crabbe, and Goyle are Seventh Years."

I filed all of this information away as food appeared on the plates and platters before us. Ravenous, I dug into the meal and listened with half an ear to the conversation around us. I noticed that Severus seemed to be doing the same.

"Lucius and Narcissa have set a date for the wedding already," said Bella in an off-hand sort of way, "They plan on having a Christmas wedding. Well, it's set for December 23rd at any rate."

"Narcissa and Lucius left Hogwarts last year. Both Slytherins. Narcissa is Bella's sister. Lucius was Head Boy," Severus whispered to me.

"Oh really? I suppose it's going to be a grand affair? It is the Malfoys after all," chimed Yaxley.

"Lucius' family. One of the oldest and purest of Blood. The only other families that come even close to them are the Blacks and Lestranges," Severus' whisper came again. I nodded as I took a bite of steak. I realized that this was all very important stuff to remember and paid closer attention.

It was Rodolphus that spoke next, "O'course. Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I would be honored if you were to let me escort you to the wedding."

She smiled in a rather odd manner and said, "It would be my pleasure." The group around them laughed, and even Severus chuckled a little. I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

He leaned closer a little and said softly, "They're all but married already. They're, ah, two of a kind, that pair." His tone hinted at something, but I'd have to ask him later. After that, for awhile, the talk drifted into talk of clothes and decorations for the wedding. The guys stayed mostly quiet, except for Regulus. He seemed to delight in talking with the girls about it. I paused mid-bite and turned to Severus.

"Is Regulus… Gay?" I asked him bluntly. I had the distinct pleasure of watching Severus choke on his drink. The others barely glanced in his direction as he mopped up the juice he spilled.

So quietly that I almost didn't hear him, he said, "Do not mention that again! He is the heir to the Black line and is responsible for keeping the line alive…"

I took that as, 'Yes, but he's so far in the closet because his family wouldn't tolerate it.' Which was probably right.

Suddenly, Bella said, very loudly, "Severus, darling?"

He stilled and raised his face to look at her, "Yes?"

"Who will you be escorting to the wedding?" she asked in a sing-song voice. The look in her eyes was rather predatory and her eyes flickered toward me for a brief second. I got a sinking feeling in my gut.

"I was not aware I was invited," he replied.

"Of course you are, Sevvy," she cooed and that feeling sank even lower, "Lucius took you under his wing after all, and you know how He's been dying to meet you," she said _he_ like she meant someone other than Lucius and someone infinitely more important, "Perhaps you could take our newest friend? I'm sure Raiz would love to go, wouldn't you? Besides, as the newest Slytherin and resident, it is our… Obligation to ensure she meets the right people."

I knew from her tone and the looks from those around us that I was now _obligated_ to go. I nodded and tried to smile. A wedding? With crowds and dancing and dresses? Oh boy…

"Perhaps," was all Severus said in reply.

Mulciber laughed harshly and said, "If he doesn't push her away by then."

"Oh, are you referring to that Gryffindor girl? She is a Mudblood. He had every right to push her away. Luvrelle here isn't a Mudblood," stated Yaxley.

I felt Severus stiffen beside me and thought better of asking him about her. When I didn't even turn in his direction, he seemed to relax.

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully and I followed the other Slytherins down to our common room (password: _Serpens virens_). The girls ushered me through a side hall and into our shared room.

I only just managed to weasel out of their girl-talk by claiming exhaustion.

I changed into my pjs, a tank-top and sweatpants, and pulled out my journal. I refused to call it a diary, because it wasn't. It was simply a place to write down things I didn't want to forget. It was also locked magically, cursed if anyone but me tried to open the lock, and you still had to recite the password (mortified) before you could even see the words written on the pages. Did I mention I was a little paranoid? I'm sure that ties in with the crowd anxiety somehow, but I lack the motivation to look too far into it.

My entry for the night looked like this:

- _Severus Snape: Slytherin; enemy of the Marauders?; ex-friends with Griffindor Muggle-born girl?; Lucius' protégé?_

- _the Marauders: consists of James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin; enemies of Severus Snape?_

- _5__th__ Year Slytherins: Regulus Black (Sirius' brother and probably gay), and Evan Rosier_

- _6__th__ Year Slytherins: Bella Black (not quite sane?) and Rabastan Lestrange are prefects; they, Rodolphus Lestrange, Gloria Wilkes, and Maureen Yaxley; Rabastan and Rodolphus are twins; Bella is cousin to Sirius and Regulus; Bella and Rodolphus are involved (two of a kind?)_

- _Former Slytherins: Lucius Malfoy (older pureblood family) is to wed Narcissa Black (Bella's sister)_

I had a feeling that I'd be adding to these notes, and they'd all probably be very important at one point or another. I closed, locked, and re-warded my journal and stashed it under my mattress. As my head hit the pillows and I sank in comfortably, I realized that my telling the girls I was exhausted wasn't entirely a lie. I was asleep almost instantly.

Author's Note: This was one of the ideas kicking around in the back of my head for awhile now. I don't usually insert OC's, and this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter story. Please read and review. I do have several chapters written already, but I am in the process of editing them before I release them.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up early and stared at the canopy top of the four-poster bed. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was. I'd been having a lovely dream about something. I couldn't remember now. Then, all of the events of yesterday came flooding back. Oh boy. For my first day, it had been pretty full…

"Ugh…" I knew it was early, and I didn't want to get up. At all. But I also knew that I wasn't going to get anymore sleep. Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I prepped for the day and took my time, briefly noticing that my uniform's tie and trim had changed to reflect my House colors, but my roommates were still passed out when I finished.

I shrugged and left for the common room.

Severus was pacing in front of the fireplace. I guess he was waiting for me because as soon as he saw me, he stopped and waited for me to approach.

"We need to talk."

I stared at him. Finally, I deadpanned, "Are you breaking up with me?"

The look on his face was totally worth it. He went from serious, to confused, to sputtering, and back to confused. All in a matter of seconds. It took him a moment to see the grin forming on my face. Then, he was glaring at me.

"Sorry," I said, "It's just that that's what someone says usually when they're breaking up with their, ah, boyfriend or girlfriend."

"Regardless. It is I that should apologize. I have dragged you into something that you've no idea the extent of," he said sternly.

"I doubt it's your fault. And I'm sure it can't be all that bad."

"Well, you're stuck with it now. Bella will not let you go. You are new, to both the school and our society. She will try to influence you and use you."

I drew myself up indignantly, hands on my hips, and said, "I am no one's tool, in any way, shape, or form."

He nodded approvingly. "Keep that attitude. Do not lose it, but do not display it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, cautiously.

"Over the next few weeks or so, you're going to get a crash course in Slytherin politics. Most of us are raised knowing it. And if our parents did not teach us, then we learned it well our first few years here."

I sighed, "Okay. So where do we start?"

He motioned for us to start walking out to breakfast. "You've already started. Last night, you got a taste of it," he replied.

"Okay then… Where do we go from here then?"

"That depends. How close were you paying attention last night?"

"Close enough, I'm sure." Our footsteps echoed in the early morning air of the dungeons as we strode side-by-side up to the Great Hall. He drilled me on what I knew already, but then he asked about several things I hadn't quite noticed. Like that the color of each girl's dress was actually determined by what Bella told them they should wear who was the, ah, alpha female. In fact, everyone in the group seemed to obey her wishes.

Bella was the popular one. The one most favored of all the group left at Hogwarts. Again, I got the distinct impression Severus was leaving something out. And I knew that something had nothing to do with him being an outcast even amongst this group. That was obvious in the way he spoke of them.

We finally made our way into breakfast and sat down. Only a handful of others were already seated. I watched Severus do a sweeping glance across the room, his eyes only pausing at the sight of a pair of girls perched at the Gryffindor table. Sitting with them was one of the Marauders, Remus Lupin. All three of them glanced up at us.

Both girls, one a redhead and the other blonde, immediately ducked their heads and went back to eating and talking amongst themselves. Remus Lupin locked eyes with me. He smiled a resigned smile and inclined his head toward me. I smirked back at him and waved.

I was pretty sure he'd figured out what exactly had happened yesterday on the train. He did seem to be the smarter of the four.

I heard Severus huff under his breath and he set about eating with an angry clatter of silverware. I decided to leave him alone for the time being.

After awhile, other students started to enter. Many of them sleep-tousled and in wrinkled uniforms. Others came in, their uniforms perfectly pressed and their eyes unclouded by tiredness. Those were the morning people, I was betting.

The rest of the Marauders came in, their voices traveling to us easily over the sounds of eating.

"Are yeh gonna try out for Quidditch again Peter?" Sirius asked. He shook his head in response and Sirius went on, "I want to. Didn't feel like it last year, one Marauder on the team was enough. Eh, James?" They all shared a laugh.

As they approached Remus, he got their attention and looked very pointedly in my direction. Shit. Just what I needed first thing in the morning. They dragged Remus up out of his seat and came sauntering over. I pretended to not notice until they were about a foot from the table.

James spoke first, "I see you found our mate after all."

"Yeah, Snape here is an old mate of ours, aren't yeh?" Sirius said, dropping into a seat across from us.

I put my fork down carefully and looked up at them. I kept my face blank as I said, "Snape is it? Where I come from, friends don't call friends by their last names," I turned to my companion who seemed to avidly trying to ignore them, "Or is that different here, Severus?"

He shook his head slightly, verifying my statement.

"Aw, come on now. It's just how we talk," Sirius pouted slightly. He turned his big brown eyes on me and I realized he was trying to turn on the charm and flirt with me.

I had no interest in assholes like him whatsoever. I let a little heat into my voice as I said, "Friends also don't chase friends with their wands drawn."

Remus lost the smile he was wearing and backed up a step or two. He seemed to sense something the others hadn't yet. Indeed, Peter stood there with a stupid grin on his face. James and Sirius weren't stupid, but neither did they realize that Sirius' charms weren't working.

"We were just playing a friendly game of spell-tag," James said.

I'd had enough, but I tried to stay polite. "I doubt it was friendly. Now, if you'll excuse us, we were enjoying our breakfast. I, for one, would like to continue to do so." My mother would have been proud if she knew how tightly I was restraining my temper. If it's one thing that pushed my buttons, it was a bully. And these guys were definitely bullies.

"Don't mind us, we'll just sit here and eat with yeh. I'm sure Snivellus doesn't mind," Sirius said with a sneer in Severus' direction. Remus flinched and even James frowned at his friend. Sirius didn't even seem to realize he'd said it. Severus' face turned red and I saw him clench his fork and knife rather tightly.

"Now I know you're not his friends," I said hotly, "I would never call someone a name like that if I was supposed to be friends with them. I will not ask again. Please leave our table now."

"Or what?" Sirius challenged with a frown, "Or you'll set Snivvy here on us?"

"No. You'll see exactly why I won Dueling Champion three years running at my old school," I said as I stood slowly, facing them. Neither of them noticed the wand that suddenly appeared in my hand, but all of them watched as I drew up to my full height. Peter especially had to look up at me. Remus was the only one who was taller than I was.

Peter finally had a flicker of doubt, but it was Remus who seemed to decide that my threat was genuine. He tugged at the other boys, trying to get them away. James was going; Sirius seemed to take it as a challenge. He stood and looked me in the eyes.

"I think yeh're lying. But worst of all, Snivvy here shouldn't be letting a girl stand up for him. Guess he really is a coward-"

And my temper snapped. My wand never made it though. Severus had tried to grab my arm, and grabbed the wand instead. My hand kept moving though and I made a fist. A fist that hit Sirius Black square in the nose. He fell backwards, tripping over the bench and landing hard on the ground.

"I'm not standing up for him," I said looking down at him, "I'm standing up against a bully that thinks he's got everyone wrapped around his little pinky. Well, this is one girl that won't be. And you!" I turned toward the other three and they flinched back, "You're just as bad! Even if you don't actually pick on anyone, you don't stop him either. You all should be ashamed of yourselves!"

The Great Hall was dead silent. Even the students that came through the door had stopped to watch our exchange. I was also pretty sure that everyone had heard my little speech, even the teachers. Especially when they all seemed to look away and pretend they didn't see a thing.

Sirius Black, his nose broken and blood running down his front looked torn between shock, outrage, and something else I wasn't in the mood to interpret. Even Severus, still holding my wand, was looking at me in a new light. I sighed and took my wand from him, my anger slowly ebbing away. I turned it on Sirius who looked warily at it.

"_Episkey_…" I muttered and he flinched as his nose fixed itself with a crack, "You should go clean yourself up." I watched as he and the other Marauders scrambled away from us.

Distinctly, I heard Sirius turn to his friends and say, "Did you see her?! That was bloody hot!"

I frowned, realizing my troubles with them were probably far from over. I sat down and the chatter around us started up again almost immediately. Severus' looked became amused and turned to smirk down at his plate.

"What?" I demanded.

He chuckled and said, "Nothing. I've just never seen them look so shocked before. That's all."

"Right…"

Eventually, one of the teachers, our Head of House and Potion's teacher I later learned, came up to our table and began handing out our schedules. I had Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts today, Herbology and Charms on Tuesday, Arithmancy on Thursday, and Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration on Friday. Awesome. Severus had the same schedule, thankfully. I was very relieved.

"I'm gonna run to my room real quick and grab my things. See you in Potions?" I said, standing up. When he nodded, I turned and walked very quickly back to the common room. Only as I left, carrying my backpack over one shoulder, did I realize I had no clue where Potions was. Shit.

I looked around, hoping for someone to walk past, but the corridor was deserted. Except for the portraits! I turned to one of them and politely asked where I could find the Potion's classroom. They were very nice and directed me toward it. Thankfully it wasn't far and was even here in the dungeons. I made it there just as the other students were filing in. There weren't many, but I wasn't that surprised. Not a whole lot of students liked continuing Potions passed their OWLs.

In fact, there were so few that this class was comprised of students from all four houses. Everyone was sitting two to a table except for Severus who sat by himself in the back of the room. I took a seat next to him, ignoring the gazes of Remus and the redheaded girl from earlier. They and two others were the only Gryffindors. There were three students from Hufflepuff. Six from Ravenclaw. Aside from myself and Severus, there was only one other Slytherin that I'd yet to meet. I pulled out my copy of _Advanced Potions Making_ by Libatius Borage and waited.

Our teacher, a large fat fellow, shuffled into the room. He stood next to a table that had a couple of cauldrons sitting on top of it. He motioned for the students to gather around him. There was a scraping of chairs as we obeyed.

"Welcome to Sixth-Year Potions. For our new student, Miss Luvrelle, I am Professor Slughorn. This year, we'll be doing a lot of hands-on stuff. And a lot more complicated brews. For now though, we'll start by identifying the potions here. They're the sort of potions you should be able to brew by the time you complete your NEWTs."

He stopped by the first, a thick brew that probably tasted worst than it looked. In fact, it was thick and mud-like. As we looked down at it, bubbles slowly rose to the surface and popped lazily. "Who can tell me what this one is?" he asked us.

Severus and the redheaded Gryffindor girl rose their hands, and several more looked at it as if they could guess, but weren't sure. I was never that great with Potions. I passed, and did fairly well. But I never had the knack.

Slughorn looked at the girl and said, "Yes, Miss Evans?"

"It's Polyjuice, sir," she said. Her voice was bell-like and confident. When Severus went still beside me, I took a closer look at that girl. She had long red hair, bright green eyes, and pale, freckled skin. She was pretty, but I figured she had to be one of those popular girls that everyone adored. I wasn't wrong when Slughorn said she was right and then proceeded to call on her over Severus for each potion. She got each of them right; Veritserum, Felix Felicis, and Amortentia. I knew Felix, but at the mention of Amortentia and its smells, I bent over to catch a whiff.

I smelled the musty pages of old books, vanilla, and one last smell I couldn't quite pin down. I frowned and tried to identify it, but failed. Evans won several points for Gryffindor, and then he set us off in our pairs to brew the Draught of Living Death.

As I said before, Potions was not my specialty. It soooo was for Severus. As I was chopping up some of our ingredients, he was scribbling notes in his textbook and occasionally giving me directions on how to better do something. I had a feeling that my Potions grade was going to take a spike upward this year.

At last our potion was complete and so was most everyone else's. Slughorn went around the room and made comments on all of them. I watched as he stopped at Miss Evans' desk and peered into her and Remus' cauldron. "Not quite up to your usual standards, but I'm sure you're just out of practice, my dear," he said merrily.

When he passed by ours, he merely said, "Lovely, just lovely," and walked away. I stared after him incredulously. Our potion was perfect! I muttered something about stupid teachers and stupid favoritism under my breath and heard Severus snort beside me as we cleaned up.

After that, we had Defense Against the Dark Arts. There were a lot more students in this class, and as a result, only two Houses were present; Gryffindor and Slytherin. I sighed as I saw all of the Marauders present. Our teacher, Professor Orville, lectured for the first half of class about shield charms and how important they were, all straight from our book _Confronting the Faceless_. This was all stuff I already knew like the back of my hand.

As a result, I lost interest in the lecture and began to draw on a spare bit of parchment instead. I was halfway through finishing the markings on a cute little cat when the teacher saying my name made me start and look up.

"Miss Luvrelle, you'll partner with…" his voice trailed off as he glanced around the room, thinking. Several people shank back in their seats and I knew word of my claim had gotten around. Good. Less people to mess with me. There was one person though, that looked eagerly up at our professor and he wasn't disappointed when he said, "Mister Black."

Great.

At least I wasn't the only one who wasn't happy with their partner. Severus was forced together with James. I saw Bella and the popular Miss Evans together. Remus and Peter were facing the Lestrange twins.

We stood in the now cleared floor of the classroom waiting for the teacher to let us start. Sirius and I had our wands at the ready. He looked far too happy with the arrangement. Oddly enough, he hadn't said a single word to me.

Finally, we were able to start.

Spells flew everywhere as people tried blocking them and others cast them. Sirius was immediately on the offensive, and I let him. He was throwing minor, silly little jinxes at me that deflected off my shields easily enough. Gradually, his spells got stronger and less silly. They were designed to humiliate me if they got through. After I deflected a spell meant to make me throw up, I was fed up with him. In quick succession I cast _Expelliarmus_ and _Stupefy_ nonverbally. Sirius Black was crumpled in a lump of cloth and unconscious.

They teacher came over and demanded, "What happened?"

Several students paused to watch and listen in.

I shrugged. "He got cocky?"

I heard a few other students chuckle but Professor Orville did not look amused in the slightest. "10 points from Slytherin, Miss Luvrelle, for not following instructions," he said, tightlipped and glaring at me.

I stared at him in disbelief. I tossed Sirius' wand at him as the teacher went to revive him. Fortunately, class ended and I was allowed to grab my stuff and stomp out of the classroom.

Author's Note: I know, I know. I'm totally horrible to Sirius. But I wanted him to be a total dick, and not too bright. He'll grow some brains eventually though, I promise. And we'll learn more about why Severus seems to not be as confrontational as canon implies.


End file.
